Brown calls for changes to criminal justice bill (Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats)

Aberdeen South & North Kincardine Liberal Democrats <info@aberdeensouthlibdems.org.uk>

Brown calls for changes to criminal justice bill

February 19, 2010 5:18 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats are calling for substantial changes to the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Bill so that judges and local communities can have confidence in the Scottish Government's proposal to replace many short term sentences by Community Payback Orders.

Liberal Democrat amendments to the Bill are designed to make sure that community sentences are speedy, tough and effective, properly resourced and workable. Party Justice Spokesman Robert Brown MSP made it clear that Liberal Democrat support for the Scottish Government's proposal for a presumption against short term sentences would be dependent on both proper resourcing of the alternative of community orders and significant changes to the Bill itself.

Commenting, he said:

"Protection of the public is our number one objective. It is quite right that those who commit serious and violent crimes are locked up to protect the public.

But short terms sentences do not work well and cost the public purse an absolute fortune. 75% of those locked up for short terms in prison commit other offences within 2 years of release. This is a staggering picture of failure which puts the public at greater risk and is why many people regard prisons as 'colleges for criminals. Scotland's prisons are fit to bursting and short term sentences are ineffective, expensive and clog up prisons.

"It is far better to have more minor offenders doing work in the community to improve the amenities of the area and to pay back the communities they have damaged. Community sentences can also work on sorting out the drug and alcohol addiction, lack of skills and other issues that fed into them getting into a life of crime in the first place.

"However the SNP Government's proposals for change, although well intentioned, are not yet fit for purpose. It is vital that SNP Ministers make sure the alternatives of community sentences are speedy, tough and effective. They must also be properly resourced to be available as an immediate option to judges.

"Our amendments would see the focus on scrapping sentences under 3 months except in special circumstances. The burden and risk of getting rid of sentences under 6 months is, in our judgement, too great.

"We also want to see local communities and victims of crime specifically consulted on the type of work included in the Community Payback Orders, to make sure that the orders are meaningful and actually pay back the community for the crime committed.

"Finally, we need further commitments from the Justice Secretary about resourcing of these community pay back orders - to make sure they are robust and fit for purpose.

"The head in the sands attitude of Labour and the Tories will do absolutely nothing to tackle this problem. They have generations of abysmal failure on crime to explain away - and yet they still want to have a bidding war as to who can lock up the most offenders. That is not a rational basis on which to build a modern criminal justice system which protects the public effectively."